Cushion, mattress, and other resilient supports



Mgrch 3l, 1942. c.'H. KHN

Filed July .3, 1940 Claus ff.

ATTORNEY.

CUSHION, MATTRESS, AND OTHER RESILIENT SUPPOT u HXVENTOR Patented Mar. 31, 1942 CUSHION, MATTRESS, AND OTHER EESILIENT SUPPORTS Claus H. Khn, Rapperswil, Switzerland, assigner to Fritz Mommenday t Sohn, Rapperswil, St.

Gall, Switzerland Application July 3, 1940, Serial No. 343,712 In Switzerland March 24, 1939 2 Claims. (Cl. 5-351) This invention relates to spring cushions and spring mattresses, and other resilient supports.

Cushions and mattresses provided with springs, particularly coil springs, are often damaged due to one or the other springs becoming loose and piercing through the fabric cover or if still fastened inside the cushion or mattress the springs gradually rub through the fabric cover during continued use.

It is an object of the invention to provide cushions, mattresses, and articles of similar kind with elastic inserts which cannot pierce or rub through the fabric cover.

It is another object of the invention to increase the elasticity of the springs used in such cushions or mattresses.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide an as great as possible number of resilient areas formed by the springs used in such cushions or mattresses and to arrange those areas in such relationship so as to exhibit an as smooth as possible supporting surface.

It is still another object of the invention to simplify the manufacture and assembly of the elastic parts used in cushions and mattresses and to render them uniformly lasting over a long period of time.

According to the invention, instead of coil springs of elastic wire, elastic or resilient and comparatively wide strips of sheet metal are used. These strips are corrugated and connected with each other to form a coherent and elastic body or insert fitting into the cover of the cushion or mattress. Hereby the disadvantages of coil springs of elastic wire are avoided, and the assembly considerably facilitated and simplified.

The objects of the invention and its advantages will be more clearly understood as the specication proceeds with reference to the drawing in which Fig. l shows a side elevation, partly in cross section along line I-i in Fig. 2, of a cushion provided with the elastic body or insert according to the invention, Fig. 2 a top view of the latter, and Fig. 3 a top View of a mattress.

Referring to Fig. 1, i0 is a cover of a cushion. This cover may consist of one or more sheets of fabric, leather, or other flexible material, or of an interlining of any kind and thickness covered by a fabric, leather etc. stood that the cover may be the same on the upper and lower side, or the upper side may be different from the lower one. Within cover I an elastic body according tothe invention is inserted comprising a plurality of pairs, II, I3,

It is also to be underand I2, I4 of strips of sheet metal arranged in alternating and offset rows.

Each strip II through It consists of resilient or elastic sheet metal and is corrugated; taking strips II, each comprises upwardly curved or bent portions I5 connected by flat portions I6. The bent and. flat portions are preferably of identical dimensions, as shown, to facilitate the manufacture of continuous long strips from which the desired lengths are cut. However, the invention is not limited to any particular size and shape of the individual curved and flat portions. Two individual strips I I, I3 of substantially identical shape and size are connected into a pair as can be learned from Fig. l, so that their curved portions extend to opposite sides and their flat portions or valleys contact each other. These contacting portions of the strips are connected with each other by rivets or by means of spot Welding or in any other suitable way. In the exemplication of an embodiment of the invention according to the drawing rivets Il are used for this purpose. As can be seen from the drawing, the individual strips pertaining to the A other pairs I2, I 4 are shaped and connected in a similar Way as described above for the pairs Il, I3. As can also be seen from the drawing, adjacent pairs of strips are arranged in staggered relationship so that curved portions of strips I2, I4 lie in front of flat portions of strips Il, I3.

The flat ends of the pairs il, I3 and the prolonged flat ends I 8, I9 of the pairs I2, I4, are connected with preferably rigid or resilient cross bars or metal sheets 2i), 2l by means of rivets 22, 23 or in another suitable way, whereby an elastic unit of desired size and configuration, in the exemplication of the drawing of rectangular conguration, is obtained.

In the manufacture, continuous strips Without ends of different types can be produced, one type corresponding to strip II, (I3) and the other to strip I2, (Ill) strips I2 have to be provided with recurring longer portions I3, I9, respectively, between adjacent bent or curved portions. From those strips individual lengths are cut and connected with each other to form pairs as eX- plained above.

A unit according to Figs. l and 2 can then be inserted into the cover, and the cushion is nished. The edges of the strips must be smooth so that they cannot cut the cover.

By offsetting the curved portions of the strips a checkerboard-like arrangement is obtained.

If desired cover I@ may be omitted and the unit be used as a resilient cushion, seat of a chair or the like.

Upon applying a load upon the cushion, such as a person sitting down on it, the curved portions of the strips flatten to some degree whereby their supporting surface is increased which results in a desirable soft support or seat. Upon removal of the load the flattened portions reassume their original shape.

It will be appreciated from the above, that the invention results in a resilient or elastic support or insert for chairs, mattresses, etc. the elements of which are simple and inexpensive in manufacture and easily assembled. Certain types of strips II, (I3) and I2, (Ill)l being given, resilient bodies of desired length and any desired width can be assembled, the width depending on the number of pairs of strips arranged in parallel between the connecting elements (cross-bars) at their ends. The upwardly bent portions of the strips provide contacting surface areas with the cover or load applied to them which exceed by a large multiple the contacting or supporting surface areas of the ends of coil springs heretofore used, and by the flattening of those bent portions under load these surface areas are further increased automatically. Thereby comfortable sitting or lying upon cushions or mattresses according to the invention is secured. It will also be appreciated that due to those large, and under load, further increasing surface areas in contact with the cover, or the clothing of a person sitting or lying down on the uncovered resilient unit according to the invention, piercing of or other damages to that cover or clothing are effectively prevented. The bent portions contacting the cover or cloth do not move relative to the latter when loaded or unloaded, and rubbing oir and wear of the cover or clothing is thereby avoided.

It will also be appreciated that the insert or support according to the invention is equally resilient on both sides. If the support, or a cushion or mattress provided with it, is positioned on a rigid support, such as the iioor, a rigid seat of a chair or the like, this resiliency on both sides makes it more comfortable. Furthermore, the rigid support of whatever material will not be damaged by sharp edges or points, which are not present, and since there is no movement between the downwardly extending bent portions of the resilient strips relative to the rigid support.

Depending upon the size of the cushion r Support the resilient strips may be arranged freely supporting themselves between the cross bars or sheets. If, for instance, mattresses are to be made according to the invention, any arrangement according to Fig. 3 may be used. There the pairs of resilient strips II, (I3), and I2, (I4) are arranged lengthwise in a rigid frame 24, and connected with its front bars in the Way shown in Fig. 2l, with respect to bars or sheets 20, 2I. In order to avoid slacking of the elastic body between the cross bars, additional cross bars or sheets 25 may be provided and fastened in any suitable way, such as by rivets 26 to frame 24, and also to the pairs of strips preferably by the same rivets I1 which connect the at portions of the individual strips of a pair.

If it is desired to distribute the load more evenly over all the pairs of strips arranged between the cross bars or cross sheets in Fig. 2, additional supports similar to sheets 25 in Fig. 3 can-be applied between selected iiat portions or valleys of aligned pairs of strips. Thus the flat portions 2'I in the center of all the pairs I2, I4 in Fig. 2 may be connected by a preferably somewhat resilient cross sheet or strip and the at portions I6 near the center of the pairs II, I3 by another cross sheet or strip.

It is to' be understood that the invention is not limited to the exemplifications of the drawing but to be derived in its broadest aspects from the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cushion, mattress or other resilient support, comprising a unitary resilient body composed of a plurality of pairs of resilient corrugated strips of sheet metal arranged juxtaposed and close to each other, the valleys of the strips pertaining to a pair contacting and being connected with each other, means arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction of said pairs for connecting the latter at their ends into a unitary body, each of said pairs freely supporting itself over a plurality of valleys and curved portions between its ends, the valleys of juxtaposed pairs arranged n staggered relationship and the ends of juxtaposed pairs forming flat portions of different lengths for connecting them with said transverse means so that the curved portions between said valleys directed outwardly to opposite sides of said body form a checkerboard-like supporting surface.

21. A cushion, mattress or other resilient support, comprising a unitary resilient body composed of a plurality of pairs of resilient corrugated strips of sheet metal arranged juxtaposed and close to each other, the valleys of the strips pertaining to a pair contacting and being connected with each other, resilient means arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction of said pairs for connecting the latter at their ends into a unitary body, each of said pairs freely supporting itself over a plurality of valleys and curved portions between its ends, the valleys of juxtaposed pairs arranged in staggered relationship and the ends of juxtaposed pairs forming flat portions of diierent lengths for connecting them with said transverse means so that the curved portions between said valleys directed outwardly to opposite sides of said body form a checkerboard-like supporting surface.

CLAUS H. KHN. 

